Obituary - Mrs Henry Nathan, Wanganui, New Zealand - 1898

Found this in the Wanganui Herald, 4th April, 1898, via National Library of New Zealand.

"DEATH OF MRS HENRY NATHAN

It is our painful duty to record the death of Wanganui's oldest settler, in the person of Mrs Jane Hearn Nathan, relict of the late Mr Henry Nathan, which occurred at her residence, Glasgow Street at the advanced age of 81 years 10 months. The deceased was a sister of the late Mr George Hearn, of the firm of George Hearn and Co, soap boilers of, Hearn Street, Shoreditch, England. Mr and Mrs Nathan arrived in the colony considerably over half a century ago in the Slain's Castle, landing in Wellington on the 22nd January, 1841 the first anniversary of the arrival of the first vessel in New Zealand. They only remained in Wellington for a few months, and then came on to Wanganui, where they resided till the time of their death. The late Mrs Nathan was of a kind and generous disposition, always willing to assist in cases of sickness and charity, to which many old residents of Wanganui can testify. She it was who dressed the wounds of the survivors of the Gilfillan family after the dreaduful massacre on the No. 2 line in the early forties, and many times since then, during the native disturbances on this coast, the deceased was called on to perform duties that we who live in happy and peaceful times have little idea of.

Mr and Mrs Nathan were the first custodians appointed by the Government to take charge of the old Wanganui Hospital, then a primitive building, in marked contrast to the beautiful structure but recently erected here.

The deceased leaves a grown-up family five sons and five daughters to mourn their loss, viz. Messrs John and Joseph (Palmerston), Anthony (Ohingaiti), William (Stratford), and George (Wanganui) and Mrs Ormsbee and Mrs Bush (Wellington), Mrs Morey and Mrs Coker (New Plymouth) and Mrs Gardiner (Wanganui). The deceased also leaves 30 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren. The funeral is appointed to leave her late residence on Thursday at 3 p.m."